Sanako Kawayaka
"My it seems like I really have let myself grow complacent. I should finish this quickly and and keep this to myself; My King has become far too sentimental and would keep me from working." - Sanako Kawayaka Appearance Sanako is a young woman with overly short olive black hair that curls around her face and loosely hangs down to her chin. She has pale skin almost to the point she may seem ill mixed with dull gray eyes that have oval like almost cat like pupils. She is often seen wearing formal business attire with some alterations made to help her engage in combat, that being a gray blazer and black blouse with a frilled button down and gray ribbon. She has opted to wear gloves most of the time so she can readily stay in physical contact with Echo even if his powers begin to act up. She is often seen wearing glasses to keep the alteration of her pupils from being easily seen and a choker with the Coperture mark on it around her neck to cover a scar across her throat. She is often seen wearing different kinds of holsters around her body, usually around her legs as accents to her stockings, around her body to always be at her side, and around her chest to keep things like her knife or radio beside her. When in battle Sanako usually wears a pleaded tactical armor which is stylized into faulds with pouches and holders inside. Personality and Interests Interests Ever since she was young Sanako has always interested in science fiction and fantasy as growing up it was one few escapes that she had. Even now she is a fan of every book, show, and movie she can consume often sharing them with Echo who seems to share in the interests with her. It's more than just listening to drams or watching shows, she spends her time reading through anything that she possibly can, consuming entire books within a couple of days. Along with that she has a love for different sorts of weapons, mostly modern firearms considering they had become something of a focal point in her life since she was a teenager, it isn't understood if this is in a new personal or wholly professional capacity there is evidence to support either side. Personality Sanako is a rather bookish person, spending more time with her books and manuscripts than she would a person. This stems from her shy nature, which renders her silent around new people or those she is uncomfortable with more often than not. That isn't to say that someone can walk all over her, when angry or even to make a point she has been known to become extremely domineering and in some cases so sadistic most learn to fear her because of her nature and ability. When it comes to those she cares for and even those she loves she has been shown to become extremely motherly and dotes on them constantly, treating and caring for them and putting them above her own self almost to the point it can become self destructive. Gear Coperture .92 mm Anti-Citadel Rifle Fafnir Sanako's custom made Anti-Freak/Anti-Citadel sniper rifle, Fafnir appears as an extremely long custom made rifle in the vein of most anti-tank rifles closely resembling the Polish Kb ppanc. It was not created with any special additions aside from a quick brace made for on the move firing,something that would be impossible in most hands. The rifle itself stands almost six feet long and weighing around three hundred pounds with an iron sight with no ability to add an additional scope. Each shell fired has a depleted uranium core, creating an explosive aftershock, though it rarely ever detonates as the makeup and caliber of the weapon allows Sanako to comfortably shoot through entire tanks and aircraft, only the most heavily armored of Kaiju or Dragon stand a chance of surviving impact. Coperture Crystal Brooch Symbol of the Iron King, it's a brooch shaped like a Cockleshell, it is made of blue crystal which changes in tone darker around the rim to much brighter in the middle. Within the center is a large pearl held in shape with what appears to be a miniature symbol of the Coperture. It is meant to be worn by the King or Queen at the time but it was presented to her by Echo, giving her something to accent her choker and show her own importance within the family and her importance to him; to Echo she is above even his duties as king. Visual Rift Glasses Considering that she is entirely human with no real way to weaponize or use her Aura she can not get the usual implant that allows the Coperture leads and Guardians to access Echo's Oculus information as such one of the lenses she wears in her glasses is a nano-machine glass which allows her to access it at a simple tap of the finger. Steel Break Case Sanako's old iron briefcase given to her during her time working in the paramilitary; it is made of durable titanium on the outside with specially carved ridges to work as a weapon. It is large enough that Sanako can break down her weapon and fit it along with her sidearms and weapons rest safely inside so that she get to work as quickly as possible. Abilities Species Abilities Learned Abilities Inherited Abilities History Sanako was born into a strict life, seemingly always moving with her mother Isana and her younger brother, told that she would never truly be safe. Her mother Isana was barely a Human, for some time she had been a killer, having been taken from her native Japan and moved to Austria by her husband who seemed to serve in some sort of paramilitary group at the time. She would take the time, leaving Sanako to tend to her brother and herself in the house as she killed other people and turned them into meat she would bring home and feed her family. Neither she nor her brother knew just what her mother was feeding them or that her mother was close to becoming a Monster. She was raised strictly, taught to act like a proper lady and trained in skills such as instruments or singing. She didn't seem to mind, having been something of a meek child she simply went along with whatever her mother, father, or teachers decided for her. Eventually she was pulled from school with him, something had happened at home and her father was dead, Sanako was forced to flee with what little family she had left, moving around from place to place finding stability to months or maybe a year or two. Even in that chaotic environment she was kept to an almost rigid schedule and training, Isana loved her daughter dearly and would not let her fall behind on her lessons. Still this would only last for so long. City of Shadows When she was only seven Sanako had grown custom to constantly moving, she had begun to retreat in on herself, she was becoming far more reserved and shy; unable to really connect to other people or make friends. She kept very little and wanted even less, only able to have any connection to her mother and brother, it was with them she smiled and she indulged in some small things with her brother; fantasy television where she pretended to have another life with her family and radio dramas that always enchanted her. She was used to growing up like this, to taking on the role of helping out here and there, accustom to ensuring that her little brother had some semblance of a normal life while her mother was away. In a way she became the true matriarch of the family. This sort of life wouldn't last long as at age twelve she found out the sort of woman her mother was, that she was a killer and what she had done to her victims. Of course she was revolted, how could she not be, but this came with a price if anyone found out then that would be it, she would lose her family and her brother. So as time continued she did more around the home, she wouldn't let her brother be subjected to that monstrous practice any longer Hammer Against Forever At age fourteen her natural genius began to shine, she excelled in her classes and managed to rush her way through traditional school despite the fact she moved around so frequently, she was always ahead of the class, she needed to be considering the duties she had to carry out at home. Never able to develop a real social life at the time, she was in an almost constant state of exhaustion, somehow managing to keep her body and mind running for her own sanity and that of her families. Her brother was still unaware of what their mother was doing and that was for the best, Sanako knew that but she also knew that it wasn't possible for her mother to change and at this point she had given up trying to change her. Late at night before she got an an hour or two of sleep she would leave the home destroying any evidence of her mother's wrong doing, she had become far too adept at the destruction of whatever was left behind. She almost knew that she, or rather something inside of her had changed and may even break with time. Finally at age fifteen she had graduated high school but knew she would be unable to stay home, she couldn't keep living this life without finally breaking and eventually causing her mind to shatter. So as time continued on, she tried to find ways that she could escape of sorts, a young man by the name of Duo Wolvenlout who convinced her to follow him as he was the first to actually see through her mask and actually break through to the real Sanako. In a way she was in love, not with the actual Duo but with the idea of him, with the image of who he was. It was enough she blinded herself to his faults, to the sort of person that he really was. So together, the two moved her family from Luxembourg all the way to Ukraine where the two joined up with the group known as Смерть Уолкер, a central European subcontracted private security and paramilitary group. She had created a home for her family, a place where her mother for a time could no longer kill and her brother could call a home. It was at a steep price, she had only known mental suffering but with Duo and the group she had joined she would soon learn physical suffering. Red Eyes Black Sanako learned what hell was, they worked her to death almost every day for an entire year. It began at four in the morning waking up to live fire, anyone who was too slow or couldn't wake up in time was often taken to the hospital, some were killed right in front of her, bullets cutting them down. It was a two hour escape, only to eat a bare bones meal not even fit for animals mixed into some sludge. Then it was intense physical training for the day, even in the dead of Winter they were expected to perform daily mountain hikes, training through the lakes. She suffered, though not as much as some of the others, she watched and tended to few who lost their limbs to 'accidents', the cold, or worse their conditions. She was worked to the point something had flipped inside of her, what most valued as human life was on the cheap even for her. Because of her formative years, she found herself unable to hurt or kill children, not like the others, not like Duo, but anyone old enough to enlist in that hell as she had was fair game for her. Her skills developed, hand to hand was a specialty but she could never get a handle on some guns, semi automatic, full auto, things like that had too much sway and were too erratic. Instead she blossomed into a sniper. it was during her time with the organization something else had changed in her, while she was unable to call forth her Aura it had always come to her, an invisible shield around the body, her reflexes always hyper aware, and adrenaline always pumping; this mix had altered her in a way able to push some of the limits that Humans had. The most drastic change of all her eyes, they almost looked inhuman and her visual prowess had long since changed; she could see clearly through the dead of night, targets meters away were presented as crisp images, she could even take out targets with her rifle most professionals needed scopes and mechanisms to hit. Sanako had gone through the crucible of combat as a monster. Soul Bound Rose Around a year or so later both she and Duo were released with their new company, moved around Europe and Asia; mostly acting as personal armed security for royalty or the upper class. At time seeing small armed scuffles though they were deployed to the Middle East and Asia, helping in armed conflicts where she was credited for at least two maybe three hundred kills all with her rifle. She had grown used to the blood, laying in rubble or in some sand trap picking off enemies one by one, she was desensitized to the pain and to her own suffering at the time. She had no idea that her little brother had joined the same organization, she only found out when they were deployed together to Belarus for a job and training that detachment. She was horrified and enraged he had joined, it was everything she had tried to avoid to ensure he had a normal life, he should never have his life come to this. It was here she earned her first title, Battlefield Phantom, the most official of them all in her mind. The whole time she tried to convince him to quit trying to force him to leave but it didn't work, they were nearly the same. In the end a small faction of European nationalists who they had once taken down found the branch and struck, in a single explosion almost everyone was buried or crushed beneath rubble, Sanako was one and she watched as her brother was shot dead. Duo got her out, pulling her through the ice and snow, he kept her alive with sweet words, his body a shield against the elements and outsiders. Their first night out she was asked to sing, something to keep her focused and aware, she did; she sang for her brother as an apology and hopefully so his soul could find rest. They returned to Ukraine were Duo did what he always had, Duo ran and left Sanako alone and broken. She returned to Смерть Уолкер for one last thing. She killed them, the head, the president, the CEO, and the trainers. They were left dead by her in a single night before she went home and collected Isana and their things, they would be going home to Austria. She later found Duo there, she much like her mother could not hate him and so they began to work together again, this time she was given a metal briefcase from him, one that would help to contain her weapon, her work, she used and cherished it as the first thing that could and would truly be hers. Night of Cherries At nineteen she was back to a sort of routine, she would take jobs with Duo for security as an assassin. She would leave home every few weeks and be gone for a few days where in the two would do their job and she would return, able to scrub away the evidence of her mother's bi monthly abductions. For a time it was good, until she was out classed and humiliated. The first was in Greece, she was to take out a member of a UN security committee, Duo went in first but she lost contact and found him with a shattered arm and ribs. Before she could react her own case was bashed across her head nearly snapping her neck. Dazed and concussed she fought a boy in a thick hoodie, well she was nearly taken apart by him. Next, was in Paris during some summit, it was supposed to be an assassination, in and out with her rifle, in and out. She thought she was the only one who had the contract but three things happened. First a shot rang out and caused panic, she for a moment lost her shot. A moment later someone fired their own gun from the crow, shattering her barrel and scope, nearly blinding her, then from the crowd that damn kid hardscoped him from a few feet away and escaped. She gave chase for a moment but it went down like before, they fought and he nearly killed her, leaving her pinned in the woods, for a moment she would almost see his eyes and he looked almost like a monster. She was left there and before she could give chase he shot her through the leg, a perfect shot in and out between the bone, she wouldn't even need surgery or much recovery time. The third was in Manila, she was running security, she was guarding in the front with Duo driving. From almost a mile away sniper fire tears through the convoy. Three policemen in one shot, another car with the next, their car was the last taking out the engine. It was chaos on the street, once again she saw that person, with one shot from his pistol he killed her charge and simply walked away. For once she didn't give chase, how could she it would be another loss but for the first time he showed his face to her, pulled back the hoodie. He looked almost normal to her except for his right eye, it wasn't natural and it was everything she remembered from Paris. This happened two more times until she took a job in London, some dignitary from a third world country, an easy assassination, but that was where she saw him with her target. She had an almost instinctual and emotional response, she went for him. Each shot missed, she had never missed before, not like this. It was like he was watching her every move and could track it. Eventually she ditched her weapon and chased him through the old winding streets. There they had their first and last real fight. It was a massacre, the moment she rounded on him her arm was shattered from the elbow down. He dissembled her, broke both her legs, shattered bones, blinded and gored her. He didn't even use his gun, just his hands and a knife. He was stronger than any human should be, too fast, he really was a monster. Just when she was blacking out he grabbed her head, for a moment they both thought she would die. When she managed to cling to life, just barely he revealed who he was. Echo Blank, Lord Coperture, she was to be his. He hadn't faced off against any normal Human who could match his strikes and survive, especially not five times in a row. She had nothing left at this point, by now she would be found out, her pride as a soldier had been stolen, and this monster could kill her with a flick of the wrist. It wasn't fear or intimidation or even malice that drove her to agree, she simply wanted someone, somewhere that she could belong and wouldn't lose everything. It was more than that, a trait that he and others like him possessed, that at times they could grind down a persons being and distill it into a single point, in this case it was prey. Sanako Kawayaka agreed to become Echo's servant in a sense. Heaven's Light Her mother was relocated, moved to the English countryside to live inside of the Coperture Manor where she would be introduced to the world around her, it was a mix of horror and shock for the first few weeks. The introduction of life beyond Human, to learn what her new Lord actually was. She adapted of course, after all she had seen humanity do she was ready to learn a new way of life. So it began, she was placed in prominence among the family. First she was Echo's personal secretary ensuring all of his tasks and duties would be sent to him, next she was put in charge of the servants and staff as she was one of the few who could deal with the criminal elements, and of course helping ready new members and Guardians. Of course there was a split in her life, she of course loved the Coperture but hated them at the same time though it was split between members. Echo she could stand, though there was always a look in his eyes like she was failing in some way, with Lightning it was worse as if the woman couldn't stand Sanako being there. The children who lived there and those they cared for such as Shia were fine, she cared for them and loved them dearly as if they were her own. A way to replace her brother of course but she would never admit it.Before any new Guardians were found, the cause was revealed to her that she took on the role of a one Cynthia Lilium the former head of staff who had acted as something of a surrogate mother for the two and for many of the younger children and Guardians. Sanako was chosen to take her place personally by Echo as he felt she would be the only one who could take her place and even more than that she was thought to be the only one able to surpass the former holder of the title. It was thanks to this she decided to dedicate herself to the role, Echo was one of the first people to actually believe in her simply for being who she was and acknowledging all that she had done before without trying to manipulate her in the end. So with that she plied herself to the job, she worked diligently to ensure that the staff were under control and the needs of all the Coperture were cared for. She was far more than just their care taker and head of staff, she became the go to for almost everything that may have been needed from weapon maintenance to ensuring everyone was in top condition. Lightning and her never seemed to get along, singularly coming from Echo's decision to hire Sanako so there was no real pain when she left. To Jynxx she was dutiful and ensured the queen had everything she would need in her Roles of Coperture and Verhexen. Ivy was especially well taken care of, Sanako gave her the same level of attentive care that the Demon's family would give. Adalifer and Yazuru could depend on her as she scheduled what they needed to continue living among Humans. Johnathan saw her as something of a sister, they were near the same normal Humans forced into the situation, where he couldn't find help and understanding in his adoptive brother and father it was found in her. Echo seemed to depend on her the most, she learned to run the machines that stabilized his failing body, she was his personal secretary and at times bodyguard, pulled into the field as his support. In an odd way she was happy like this, there were expectations of her but nothing was demanded; a place where she could start to open up and even begin to develop after everything she had lost. Of course she followed along with her King, pushing herself to go above what he expected of her, what he expected of a Human. She learned other languages, political focuses, and even the lore behind beasts and creatures so that she would not be a hindrance against them even if she did have her Fafnir with her side. Of course Sanako did her best to try and keep Echo from going along with the political marriage between the two, having seen her constant incendiary actions and ploys for power as being one of the most dangerous things about her and she would eventually try to betray them. Even still she would not push too far or betray her own budding emotions. Still she did her best trying to appease Sky and the enraged Kazahana as Cryzer revived the Terremoto to his own purposes. She would not interfere in the duels set to try and create dominance between the families, though for what time she did see out in the field there she managed to talk to and befriend Enjouji the Terremoto leader at the time. She didn't know and instead regarded him as simply someone to talk to. She of course found Stone to be an utter beast, she would not allow him near Echo, taking up her arms against him whenever he drew closer. She was unable to stand most of the Kazahana at the time, most of them too wild or others closer to insanity, she did find it in her to despise Sky as well as pity him because she saw the road she could have taken after her brother's death in him and it made her feel ill. As such she did her best to not actually talk to him in person or limit her interactions with him during the time. Step Among Gods Four years had passed since she joined the Coperture, in that time she had seen death, betrayal, and lost those that were dear to her. Yet she stayed resolute, she was to remain a constant for the family and all those that came through. She was less than thrilled at Lightning's return to the family for her own selfish purposes, those running away from a family she had started and her own adoptive father, but as always she watched. her roles were becoming less and less active with Echo and the others as Madness beasts began to form, she had no real way to protect herself without an awoken Aura so she made every plan and preparation having taken most of Echo's work load. In fact was the one who used Cagliostro and the relations to fine the Oricalcum sites that were branded by the Old Gods and thus conduits for them. She of course did some action notably in the Forbidden City during the first swarm of Formless she held the line by herself against the tide of creatures, only pulling back to act as a tactical sniper when the masses became too much for her, though she had secured the area for well over an hour and thus allowed Echo to bring Sean, Jynxx, Johnathan, and Lightning to the area. When the Formless turned into giant titans, she was the one to take them out with her rife, not only saving the group but causing the accident that lead to Sean inheriting power from Nyx. After Jynxx was stolen Sanako became her guard dog, rather she was to guard against Jynxx. At this point no one knew what Dark had done to her, any action was to be taken as a threat and Sanako was to disable her with extreme prejudice. Nothing seemed to happen, though Sanako was able to witness as the awoken Echo used his power to destroy the mental encoding and personality known as Alice left by Dark. When Sanako went into the kill she found herself taken down just as Echo had, it seemed that while she was away Jynxx had been altered leaving both sides as Patchworks. She was left to mind the home when Dark arrived, following what he had left in his playthings. At the time the staff had been cleared leaving only the wards, Sanako,and Lightning; Dark stated the following "too many little motes of light" before using Cobalt to destroy the mansion, causing the home to implode. It was only thanks to Sanako that the wards survived, though they were left trapped in the rubble and Sanako near dead from trying to see if there were others. If not for Echo arriving soon after Dark would have killed her as a "problem in the future", though the ensuing battle which destroyed the countryside ensured the others were able to bring her to safety and ensure that she was cared for. A year later as the Coperture settled into their new castle and worked to end the war with Dark and Helena did Sanako finally confront Echo on their emotions. She knew he at one time loved Lightning and that his marriage with Jynxx was political and their love was only so far even if they did have a child together. It was from this she found herself as more than Echo's right hand but as his lover. The two kept their work and personal life separate which was easy enough for her, though she found herself with far more than she could have ever wanted. Castor Echo's son from Jynxx and now her adopted son Volk helped her to live out a dream of actually having the family that she had always wanted. Gates Reopened Currently she is the Iron Queen, usually a ceremonial title as it is the true ruler who has any power, and commanding it; she has turned what was once pageantry into a seat of power. She commands the staff, running Cagliostro in Echo's stead when need be, and ensuring that every single thing in the Coperture runs when Echo and Adal are not in the castle. She commands and demands the respect and fear of the staff, having turned even the most terrifying and hardened of criminals such as Heo Lao Shiim and Shin Xiao Fun into her own trained lapdogs and proper butlers that even the Queen would be proud to have serving under her. Of course she continued her work even after giving birth to her first and possibly last child Lux who she keeps with her most of the day even if she works in the offices beside Echo. While she is the feared Iron Queen, she is still seen as a motherly figure and one people can rely on such as Satin to help find stability in the house or Shia who has grown to begrudgingly accept her help in learning to be Echo's new field secretary. Sanako doesn't mind the latter, Sanako wants to focus on work and family and as such can not spend too much time away from the Castle. She even knows of Shia's wide eyed puppy love crush on Echo and doesn't seem to mind as she knows that Echo will not only be faithful but because Shia idolizes the ideal of Echo as she once did with Duo. One of the few times that she had to leave the castle was during the battle with Reaver when the Lunar City was activated, she was brought with Echo using an overly modified Fafnir known as Fafnir Balmung to distract him by staying outside of Reaver's maximum range and taking shots at his armor, distracting him while the combined Coperture, Terremoto, and Kazahana worked to defeat him. Now her story continues. Naming Her name as it's shown in Kanji literally means Daughter of Isana which is an old fashioned name Her last name Kawayaka is an odd name on it's own which roughly translates to, It seems like a part of something or alternatively, they always seems like a part of something. Trivia It is no mistake that her nickname God's Eyes are also shared by her husband in his Gods Eye, with her almost inhuman sight and visual prowess she is trusted as his spotter and whenever he goes into public as a sniper always watching and trailing him creating the relation as such she is the eyes of Echo who is in fact a sort of God. She is one of the only characters who does not have a Heroic Title but does have a symbol, that being of the Branded Hawkeye She is referred by dark as one of the little motes of light, the only others with that name being people with Heroic Titles and Symbols as well as a fully activated Aura. She does not have a fully active Aura but the potential is inside of her even if she will never be able to reach it. Echo confirms that she was born with the potential to bring forth the ability known as Panoptes Scope but that it would not happen in her lifetime. Category:The Coperture